


Sword and Circle III:  Resolutions and Relations

by beccaelizabeth



Series: Sword and Circle [3]
Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1998-04-02
Updated: 1998-04-02
Packaged: 2017-10-06 06:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beccaelizabeth/pseuds/beccaelizabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Viv and Richie go to a family party, and things go downhill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sword and Circle III:  Resolutions and Relations

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to AC, Squeeky, Adrianna and doriant for helpful comments and beta reading and suchlike.

It was late in the day after the dojo had closed. MacLeod had just gone out shopping, which left Viv and Richie in the dojo, Viv just putting away her sports fencing foil and face mask.

"So Viv, why the inscription?" Rich asked idly.

"Veni, Vidi, Vici. When the olds bought it for me they just put my initials on it, but I added the Vidi Vici because unlike them I can actually read Latin and it was kind of embarrassing."

"Embarrassing?"

"You don't know the translation? 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' Course I prefer it when I can say Vidi, Vici, Veni." Viv smirked, and counted the seconds as Rich turned the translation around in his head then grinned.

Rich finished putting most of the equipment away, which just left washing the floor and his jobs for the day were done. Not his favourite task.

"So Viv, you want to fence some more?" he asked, picking up a foil.

"Sure, why not." Viv said, and finished putting the inscribed sword away, then fetched out TLF.

Richie shrugged, then swapped that weapon for a rapier of MacLeod's. He stepped over to face Vivianne, who saluted him with her sword then attacked. He let her have the upper hand for a while, watching her moves, then he went on the offensive. Before long his experience with the style of weapon was showing, and he was pushing Viv harder than she had expected. Truth be told, their little judo lessons had made her get rather used to the idea that she could beat him in her sleep. Finding herself so hard pressed so unexpectedly, and with live steel, was doing bad things for her composure. Him grinning wasn't helping much either.

So he thought he could beat her then? Right. They'd just see about that.

Viv pulled out the stops and stepped up the tempo, slipping into a state of mind she rarely bothered with for practice, empty of everything except the moves and the world, what she was doing and where all the furniture was.

Richie noticed her expression go blank and a strange sort of calm slip over her. Right then what had been a fun practice suddenly started to feel rather dangerous. She got faster, smoother. He was reminded of how her standard had stepped up when facing Mac that first time, and he got very worried. Instincts honed in real challenges clicked in and he got serious too. The whole atmosphere of the room changed. The two young Immortals stopped just being friends practising together, and showed their potential as deadly players in the Game.

Steel flickered through the air, clicked together lightly as every move he blocked turned into a new one lightning fast. Viv couldn't put much power behind her moves, she wasn't strong at all, and her stamina was bad, but with the way she moved a fight could be over so fast you would barely know it happened. Whatever Richie tried to do she was one step ahead. He thought he saw a gap and his sword flicked out at her neck, but just cut empty air a hair's breadth from it as she side stepped away. Right then Rich realised what he had almost done and hesitated. This was meant to be a friendly match, a practice. He could have killed her...

Viv watched her opponent's moves, got a feel for his rhythm. Years of training echoed through her. //Watch their heart, centre of the chest, telegraphs their movements...//, she saw the stroke aimed at her neck just as he committed to it and stepped aside //...and when they don't got the heart for the fight anymore...// the enemy froze, uncertain, losing commitment to the fight, and she struck. His defence was wide open and TLF sliced into him, fight won... and then the sickening feeling of her blade sliding through Richie's flesh brought her back to full reality with a jolt.

"Oh my god... Richard..."

***

Richie just stood there for a moment looking down at the blade sticking out of his stomach then doubled up and fell to the ground with a moan of pain. Viv tugged TLF free and then just stood there, sword held out away from her like she didn't want to own it right then, staring fixedly at the wound, totally shocked at what she had done.

Richie clasped at his stomach and tried not to moan. //Damn, why can't it hurt less too..// He looked up and saw Viv standing there looking sick. //I guess this wasn't on purpose. Probably. I must be scaring the hell out of her..// so he made some attempt at a joke. "Damn, Viv, this was a new shirt."

Viv dropped her sword and dropped down to kneel next to him. "Are you.. of course you're not, I mean.. are you going to be all right?"

"What, this? Just a scratch." he said, wincing, pain showing in his voice. He was healing already though.

"Rich, I am _so_ sorry. I just.. I wasn't thinking.. It was just so easy.." she babbled, staring at where her sword had gone right through him, then the long cut him falling over had made. It had only been moments but he was already looking a little better.

"If it was easy I better work harder. Just don't make a habit of this, okay?" Meaning _did_ she make a habit of this. He didn't like dying enough he wanted to do it any more often than necessary.

"Absolutely." Viv replied, going from sick to wide eyed frightened. "I've never killed anyone by accident before. I just.. I mean, you were too good, I.. I guess I got scared. I couldn't lose. It got too serious. Rich, I am so sorry. Really."

"That's okay." Rich replied. He was looking so much better already. The cut had healed over though it was still a dark crimson colour. "Think you could kiss it better?" Richie smiled slyly.

At that Viv actually looked up at his eyes. Then she giggled. "You are something else Ryan. Lying there with your guts showing one moment and the next you're chatting me up? I nearly killed you!"

"Hey, if it works..." Richie grinned. Viv's normal colour and some of her spark was returning.

"Well I suppose I owe you at least a kiss." Viv almost grinned, then kissed the end of one finger and then pressed it gently against the now almost healed cut.

"Oh you call that a kiss."

Viv grinned and leaned forwards, moving as if to kiss him on the lips then bending down and kissing the newly healed wound. Richie gasped, discovering the area was still sensitive even though it looked healed. Viv smirked and kissed him again lower down the cut, then again, lower... almost to the top of his trousers, where the cut had ended... then she dragged her tongue back up along his stomach.

"Mmm, Viv, now _that_ is a kiss..." Rich said breathlessly.

Viv grinned. "Now you're all better." she said, and lightly brushed her lips against his. He reached up to hold her closer but she dodged away, stood up and walked over to get a towel.

//Damn, what is wrong with me?// she thought, burying her face in her towel and trying to calm down. //Feeling this turned on with the taste of his blood in my mouth? I'm not a bloody vampire!// She realised Rich was standing next to her, close to her.

"Viv..." he started to say, reaching for her.

"Look, Richie... this isn't a good idea." Viv said, stepping away hurriedly.

"Seems like a pretty good idea from here." he said, lightly touching her arm but not crowding her.

"Ryan... I'm not good for you. I mean..." she waved vaguely at the gash in his shirt, stained red. She took a breath and started again, tried to explain. "We're friends."

"Friends can date."

"Yeah, but you're a good friend. And if we dated and it didn't work out and you dumped me, then I would have to hurt you. A lot. And then you wouldn't ever want to talk to me again and everything would end up a total mess."

"I think I'll take that risk." Rich smiled, and moved closer.

"No, Rich. I'm serious. Look, Ryan, with a figure like mine do you think I've got any shortage of guys chasing me? But how many friends do I have? I'll tell you how many. Five. And four of those don't know anything about all this with the swords, let alone me being a witch. I just need a friend right now a hell of a lot more than I need a boyfriend."

Richie sighed and nodded, stepped away again. "I guess I can understand that. But if you change your mind.."

"Yeah, I know. You're always available, right?"

"Hey, I'm a very busy guy. But for you..." he gave her one of his killer smiles, and Viv very nearly changed her mind.

Then they heard the car and realised Duncan was pulling up outside, and Rich and the dojo floor were covered in blood. They looked at the door, they looked at each other.

"I'll get changed, you get the mop." Rich said, hurrying off, and Viv hurried to comply.

They weren't quite quick enough. When Duncan came in there was rather a lot of pink water still on the floor. But Viv was cleaning it up, and with Rich in a new shirt there was no proving who cut whom, so they just both got a disapproving glare as Duncan took his groceries up in the lift.

Then he trained Viv until she was totally worn out, and she still had to go to work that evening. For once though she didn't complain.

***

The next morning Viv talked to Rich before she disappeared off home to bed. She seemed a bit more hesitant and awkward than usual, but she wasn't about to admit it.

"Rich, I was wondering... um, I've got the night off tonight, Marcus is having a birthday party and his uncle is letting him loose in the big house for it so everyone is invited. I was wondering, maybe we could go. I mean, you haven't met many of my friends yet, we don't hang out much outside of the dojo. I figured, why not?"

"A party sounds like fun. Yeah, why not." Rich replied, smiling.

"Well, should be fun. Could be dire. M's parties are always half family gathering, half business meeting. There'll be about a dozen people there who are actually his friends, and he won't have time to talk to any of us long. But, there are a load of cousins who have heard him describing you who have been bullying me to bring you to meet them. You won't be short of company." Viv grinned.

"You won't be trying to marry me off to some spinster cousin, now will you?"

"Well, I won't, but you better avoid the aunts... Anyway, meet you here?"

"Sure, see you then."

***

That evening Vivianne did not turn up for her usual workout, and Rich assumed she was getting ready for the party. When she did arrive, he was very impressed with the results. Everything she was wearing was leather, with the possible exception of her underwear, though Richie was trying with little success not to speculate on that area. He knew the knee high boots had been re-soled more than once, the 'Born to Rune' patch on her left arm covered a small gash and the thick leather stitching holding the arms and back together had a lot more to do with mileage and tarmac than fashion, but the overall effect was hot. The black leather trousers were so tight they looked like they had been painted on, and her habitual leather waistcoat was even more impressive with nothing underneath.

She stood in the doorway for a moment, waiting for Richie to pick his jaw up off the floor and stop drooling, and glanced over to check MacLeod's reaction. After Mac saw who it was, he ignored her. Viv appeared mildly peeved, but recovered quickly.

"Well, Ryan, you ready to party?"

"Uh, yeah, of course." Richie said, walking over to her. He noticed that for once the only metal on her was her somewhat battered brooch, the cat face one that looked like the kind of tom cat that never turns down a fight. "Not wearing your sword?"

"Forgot to mention, strictly no weapons allowed. They'll be checking at the door. If you don't want to go then I understand..." Viv replied.

"No, no, that's fine. I'll leave mine here." Richie said, more or less managing to talk to her face, and he slipped his sword out of his coat and left it on a bench. "Mac will keep an eye on it. Let's go."

"Richie.." Mac called as they made to leave.

Rich turned and gave him a very level look. "Yeah?"

Mac reconsidered slightly, just glanced over to Viv and back, warning clear in his eyes. "Have a good time. And look after yourself."

"Of course, Mac." Richie replied, then turned and walked out. Mac watched him go, worried, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

As they walked to Richie's bike Viv said jokingly "So is MacLeod your boss or your mom?"

"He's just used to looking out for me. He used to be my teacher, and before that I lived with him and Tessa. He worries."

As Vivianne sat behind him on the bike she noticed the scar on his neck. "You get scars like that, I'm not surprised he worries. You never mentioned, how did that happen? Or is that another long story?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Just a close call. I'll tell you about it some other time." Richie said, passing Viv a helmet and pulling his helmet on.

Viv shrugged and gave the back of his head a rather fed up look, then pulled on her lid and settled in for the ride, putting her arms tightly around his waist.

Richie started the bike, thinking //If this is how she treats you when you're just friends...// then really trying not to finish the thought. Or in this position she would definitely notice his reaction.

***

At the party they parked Richie's bike next to an assortment of cars ranging from small tatty vehicles more than ten years old to brand new BMWs and a Ferrari. Viv took the time to drool over the better specimens as they wandered up to the front of the house. 'Big house' was right. Big and white with lots of windows, very classy. There were bouncers at the door, and they did indeed look everyone over for weapons, not actually frisking anyone but looking under coats and in hand bags. Once inside Rich saw a lot of antiques even his only semi experienced eye could tell must have cost a small fortune.

"So are those guys going to be checking people's pockets on the way out too?" Rich joked.

Viv grinned. "Oh very probably, knowing M and his mates as they do. Mechanics don't make enough that they wouldn't be tempted. I mean, if I thought I could get away with it, I reckon some of this would look good in my place." They headed towards the room the music was spilling out of as they talked. Amongst all this opulence the loud dance beat sounded rather incongruous.

"His uncle owns a place like this, and he pulls cars apart for a living?" Rich wondered.

Viv gave him a bit of a sharp look. "Marcus senior is the accountant, his brother sort of runs the whole thing. They like to think they're up by the bootstraps working class made good sorts, so they make sure their lad can do the same. Course it was Marcus most senior and now departed who were that." Viv shrugged as they stepped into the main room, a bar at one end and a professional DJ at the other. "Come on, if you start talking business someone will think it's what you're here for. Pick a cousin, any cousin. I'll introduce you. They're all dying to meet you." Viv grinned, and indeed the two of them seemed to be getting a lot of attention. Rich wasn't surprised, Vivianne's outfit was the most outrageous in the room. His blue jeans and shirt more or less fitted in, but most of the women there were in expensive looking dresses. And some of them filled them quite nicely, he noted, looking at one blonde on the other side of the room in particular. Viv noticed him looking, and with a conspiratory smirk she strolled over to introduce the young lady in question.

She walked like she ruled the room, fully expecting everyone to watch her and get out of her way, and she was more or less right. As they wandered along she gave Richie a little running commentary on the people that smiled at them as they passed.

"Those three on the left, Rosalind, Samantha and Theresa, all my cousins, all M's uncle's daughters. Don't mess with them unless you want to get on the old man's bad side, which I don't recommend. On the right in not enough red, Amelia, who is jail bait whatever she tells you. Plump girl in the ruffles, over there next to the one that looks like a stick wrapped in green, that's Joanna and Jill. Both looking, both likely to take things rather seriously."

"Both with relatives who'll be pretty serious too? I think I see a pattern here..."

"Don't worry, they aren't all ultra catholic conservatives with homicidal parents. Convent school turns out two sorts, and I can practically guarantee all the bleached blondes are the other type. Just family parties like this are a mine field, so I point out the mines before you step on them, so to speak." Viv said, half grinning but clearly meaning what she said.

"I get the picture. So.." Rich started to reply, but right then a tall blonde bloke waving around a half full pint mug yelled an enthusiastic greeting.

"Viv! Glad you could make it! This party needs some livening up. You know hardly anyone's jumped in the pool yet?" The newcomer said, working his way over to them and taking the opportunity to throw a 'friendly' arm around Vivianne. "I have been missing you."

"Since all of yesterday? I'm touched." Viv shrugged the arm off.

Richie thought he recognised the guy from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place him.

"So, who's your friend?" the guy asked, looking at Richie for the first time, then blinking in surprise. "Richie Ryan?! what are you doing here? I didn't know you knew Viv!"

"You know Richie?" Viv asked.

"Know him? We got half our juvie record together!" he crowed, like this was a personal triumph. He grabbed Richie's arm and asked him "So how are you doing? Last I heard you were selling cars. Funny that, considering..."

The face finally clicked. Take off about a foot and a half of height and most of the muscle... "Steve Greener? Man, it's been years! How are you doing?"

"Oh, same old same old. You're the one that moved out. I hear you've been to Europe or something? Real world traveller. Me, I'm still on the same block I always was."

"In the same job? What was it, acquisitions?"

"Same as you, Ryan. Nah, got out of that. Juvie time is a breeze, but who wants to risk prison?"

"No one with brains, Greener." Viv said. "So we'll be seeing you behind bars some time soon."

Greener looked at her sharply, then seemed to notice someone else who had just come in and headed off to greet them just as enthusiastically.

"Wasn't that a bit harsh, Viv?" Richie asked, curious.

"What, you knew him and you think I'm wrong? Forget it, the guy's like some big puppy, if I don't whap him every now and then he follows me around for hours. Come on, Phoebe et al await." Viv replied, and crossed the rest of the room a bit more briskly. Rich half shrugged to himself and followed.

After introducing him to the rather shapely Phoebe and her friends, Viv left him to it and headed for the bar. She grabbed two pints and wandered back towards Rich a bit more slowly, talking to people she knew as she went. Richie noticed a lot of guys seemed happy to speak to her, and a lot of the women they were with looked daggers at her back as she passed. He got the impression Vivianne knew too, and was basking in the attention.

By the time Viv got back to him, she had already had half her first beer. She handed him his pint and he used her return as an excuse to disentagle himself from Phoebe and her gaggle of friends. She was pretty enough, but she and her friends had a habit of giggling that just reminded him too much of high school girls. It was a big party, there were plenty of other people to meet.

The next person Viv bumped into was Marcus.

"And here he is, the birthday boy himself, holding court I see." Viv said as she walked up, gesturing at some of the people that had just walked off. Indeed people did seem to be queuing up for a word with him.

"Vivianne, glad you could make it. And Richard Ryan. Has she worn you out yet?" M asked, smirking.

Viv replied quickly. "Honestly M, it is possible to hang around with a member of the opposite sex and not be shagging them."

"So you constantly remind me. It's not half as much fun though." M said, looking her up and down suggestively. The exchange had a different tone to the last time Richie had seen them together. Here on his own turf at a party in his honour M seemed to feel he was top dog, and managed to give the impression everyone else there was beneath him. Rich found himself beginning to not like the guy.

"Well, I'm just saying hi. And don't expect a present, I'm skint this month and next."

"Oh, I can think of presents that wouldn't cost you anything."

Viv snorted and frowned. "Sure you can. I'd better go, your adoring public all want a word." she turned and walked off.

Rich made to follow but M stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I see you kept her in one piece. Very wise. We are watching out for her, don't forget that."

"Watching out for, or just watching?" Rich shrugged the hand off. "Viv can look after herself. Against anyone. Now if you'll excuse me..?" M stepped back and, after a moment, turned to speak to the next nearest person. Richie wandered off after Viv.

She introduced him to a few more people and then went to get another pint of beer. The evening progressed and it turned into a pretty good party, Richie's smile having about the same impact on the female half of the room as Viv's outfit had on the men. As he circulated Rich realised there were several people there he recognised from the old neighbourhood, not friends, more business acquaintances. They all seemed to know Marcus. Richie was starting to get a rather bad feeling about what M's, and therefore Viv's, line of work might be. Worked on cars? Yeah, right. Maybe not in acquisitions, but he wouldn't bet on it.

At some point late in the evening when the room had become rather smoky and seemingly half the guests had gone out the double doors to the pool Richie became aware he could no longer sense Viv. He wasn't worried, but since he hadn't met anyone particularly interesting he decided to wander out and see if he could find her. They probably needed to talk.

Outside it was only marginally quieter, as the quieter music was more than made up for by the splashing and shrieking. He picked a direction at random and wandered along. Around the corner he felt Viv's buzz just before he heard voices arguing.

"Marcus, get your hands off me!" Viv said, angry, and Richie hurried over to where the voices were coming from, no longer thinking about questions raised.

"Oh, come on, Viv. We both know why you came out here." Marcus wheedled.

"To get away from the noise and the herd. Remove your hands or I will, at the wrist."

"You really wouldn't want to do that. I have connections, remember? I'm a good guy to be on the good side of. You wouldn't want to get on my bad side."

"Marcus, one last time..."

"Oh, drop the act Viv.."

The bushes shook and Richie decided he had heard more than enough. He stepped round the corner, grabbed M's shoulder and pulled him away.

"The lady said no. I think that's clear enough." Richie said, glaring at M. He stepped back, looked at Viv, then back at Richie.

"Bad move, Ryan. Very bad move." He said, then turned and stomped away.

Rich watched him leave then turned back to check Vivianne was okay. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. There wasn't any problem, I could have handled him. He's just drunk." Viv replied, shoving her hands in her pockets and pulling her leathers tighter around her. "This is really not my scene. Brainless little morons. I used to think it was small towns made small attitudes, but it's just small brains."

"If you want, we could go. I mean, I was just thinking of leaving anyway." Richie offered.

Viv just shrugged, then nodded. "Yeah, let's go. We'll only miss the part where they all start chucking up in the plant pots anyway." she said dismissively, then stalked off back through the house leaving Richie to grab his coat and meet her back at the bike.

They didn't say much as Rich drove Viv back to her place, just directions and where to stop. She lived in a surprisingly nice place, luxury apartments with a video intercom system. Beyond what Rich had figured she could afford, which reminded him of his earlier suspicions.

"Rich... I'll see you tomorrow?" Viv said, sounding unsure. He nodded, and she turned and started walking to her door. Then she turned back to face him again. "Thanks. For before. Thanks for being there." she mumbled, then turned away again.

"That's what friends are for." Richie replied, and decided any questions could wait. He watched her until she was safely inside, then rode off again. Back to the dojo to pick up his sword.

***

When he got there he found a note on the door from Mac, telling him to come up whenever he got back and get his sword from the loft. He sighed. "Great Mac, next you'll be telling me off for being out after curfew." he muttered, then went up anyway.

"Richie, I'm glad you're back." Mac called over to him as he walked in.

"Still in one piece you mean? I told you, Viv isn't after my head." Richie replied, tired and not really in the mood for a lecture. Let alone the 'I told you so' speech he would get if he shared his suspicions about Viv's work.

"Well if she was you practically handed it to her on a plate tonight. It doesn't matter how good you are with a sword if yours happens to be half way across town." Mac said, handing it over to him.

Rich put it away and sighed. "There were guards on the door, no one could have got so much as a table knife in without them noticing. Just like Viv said. Mac, surely you've checked her out with Joe by now? If she was an old Immortal, he would know, right?"

"Maybe. You know there are some Immortals they lose track of. They haven't got anything about Vivianne Impson, but they have got a report they think might be her, two incidents about a Nina Simonise that fit her story. Once she cut the other Immortal's arm off, the other time she got arrested."

"So she's telling the truth. You can relax."

"Maybe." Mac sighed. "There are still some things... I just get the feeling that there are things she isn't telling us. Important things."

Richie sat down and looked at his hands. "Yeah, I guess I get that feeling too. I mean, I trust her, I don't think she's going to do anything to me or anything, just... she has secrets. But we've all got secrets. So she doesn't tell us much about her work or friends. I don't tell her about Methos.."

"I should hope not!"

"I mean, about me and him." Rich said, touching the amulet around his neck. "And there's probably stuff you wouldn't tell her if she asked about it. So why shouldn't she have secrets?"

"There is a difference between things that are just private and secrets you don't even tell your friends. I don't know if Viv's secrets could be dangerous to us, and that's what has me worried."

"Yeah." Richie sighed, and admitted. "Me too."

Mac looked at him and nodded, a little surprised.

"Just because I like her doesn't mean I'm blind, Mac." Richie said, noting the surprise. "I've been betrayed too many times for that. So, the only thing is, what to do about it? If she won't talk to us, we can't just send her away. She's Immortal, she needs the training."

"Actually she is better with a sword than you were when you took Mako's head. Now she knows the rules I could tell her to leave." Mac said, sounding doubtful.

"You won't, will you Mac?" Rich asked. "She's still learning, we could teach her so much."

"Yeah, we could." Mac replied, slightly stressing the 'we' with some amusement. "But I think we should also keep an eye on her."

"Yeah." Rich agreed a little sadly, then got up to leave. "Well, I better go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then." Mac said, and Richie let himself out.

***

When Vivianne didn't make it to her usual first thing in the morning workout neither Richie nor Mac were either particularly surprised or worried. When she didn't turn up that evening, then they started to worry, just a little. They waited for her, then closed up the dojo for the night. Richie decided to swing by her place and the diner where they had met Marcus, just to check if she was okay.

There was no sense of her at her apartment, and no signs of a recent Quickening, so he parked his bike outside the diner and decided to walk around the neighbourhood to see if he could sense her. He couldn't recall any garages around there, but if he was right he didn't expect the place she worked to be widely known.

He was a couple of blocks away from where he started when he sensed her. Right then there was a crash like a crate being dropped, and raised voices from the alley he was just passing. He looked and took a couple of steps down it, to see light spilling out of a large open door onto a truck surrounded by people carrying boxes out, and Viv standing there with a knife in each hand backing towards the door, a spilled box of car parts lying where she had been when she felt the buzz. When she saw it was him the knives disappeared up her sleeves and she started to jog towards him. Then Marcus came out to see what was wrong.

"Ryan! Viv, what the hell is he doing here, I thought you knew better than to invite your boyfriends to watch us work. Or maybe you've told him all about us. Maybe that's why we've got trouble!" Marcus called when he saw them.

Rich went forwards to meet Vivianne. "Viv, you didn't show, we were worried.."

"Richie this is a really bad time. You shouldn't have come, I told you M gets jumpy about people." Viv half hissed, worried, trying to hustle him out the way he had come.

Marcus turned up beside her. "Too damn right I do. Just tell me this is a coincidence, Viv. He knows where we are, we hear someone told the cops where we are.."

"Oh come on M don't tell me you've never had to move before! From what I hear you move like once or twice a year anyway! This is just bad timing. You know the cops are always looking for this place. So they found it, big deal. We'll be cleared out in like five more minutes. No problem."

"Like Hell there's no problem. I see a big problem right here. Vivianne.."

"M, we're all packed, you coming or what?" Someone, sounded like Steve, yelled from the truck.

Marcus glared at Viv and Richie, but a distant siren spooked him, even though it probably had nothing to do with them. "You two, in the van. You're with us."

"Marcus.."

"No arguments, Viv, I got a lot more people with me than you have."

Viv's face set angry, but she glanced at Richie and shrugged, then gestured for the back of the truck. Reluctantly he followed her and they jumped in, settled down next to where Viv's bag was wedged on top of some boxes. A couple of people Richie didn't know got in after them and closed the door, then the truck started up and they drove away. From in the back he couldn't tell where they were going.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Richie looking around at the contents of the truck. There were trunks full of tools, car parts, and paint. Also a neat little box of number plates.

"So, Viv, this is where you work. Nice place." Richie said sarcastically.

Viv shook her head, not now. "Save it, Ryan. Not your business." she told him in a low voice.

"You came to us, Mac took you in as a student, you hang out with us for months without mentioning you steal cars for a living? I'd say that is our business." Richie hissed in reply.

"I don't steal them, I work on them."

"Strip them, paint them, change the plates."

"Yeah, and make good money at it. What can I say, I make three times as much here as I would even if I owned my own damn garage. I needed some travelling money, I figured I'd be in town a month, tops. Why not work for the family business? I didn't exactly expect to meet you or Mac, let alone have you, like, adopt me."

"So now we've got Family in the family."

"We ain't Italian, Rich. We just have a business. A few garages, a lot of cars go through..."

"Stolen by kids who'd only get juvenile time if they get caught, and of course they know they got jobs waiting for them when they get back."

"Do you see anyone else employing punks like us? What am I supposed to do, walk into some garage and say hey, I don't got qualifications or formal training and the only references I can get would come from folks currently staying at Her Majesty's, but I can fix cars pretty good? Get real. I'm not even legally supposed to be in this stupid country. Any of me. I'm just passing through. Who'd give me a job when I'll be gone in a week? Family or people who are just as dodgy, that's who. Hell, I'd have thought you would understand. Steve says you've been there."

"Yeah, and got out of it. There's no future in it, Viv. Always hiding, not being able to trust.."

"Hello, sound familiar? And who cares if there's a future when right now there's nothing to eat? I never expected to make it this far anyway. Hell, I didn't make it this far." Viv said, whispering even more for that last bit.

The truck was slowing down, and as the engine noise diminished they both decided to save the argument for later. The others hadn't been able to hear exactly what was said, but they gathered that all was not well between the supposed love birds and there were amused glances all round.

They came to a stop, and after a couple of moments the back slid up and Marcus looked in. The two guys right at the back jumped out.

"Remember, make yourselves scarce, I'll find you later." Marcus said to them, then turned back to Richie and Viv. "You... I think I better sort you out now."

"Hey M, he was pissed at her about something. Seemed to me like he didn't know." One of the guys piped up.

M turned to glare at him. "When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it."

The other guy looked rather taken aback, but his friend put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him away. "Don't mind him." he said, as Marcus turned back to look in the van. "Late night last night." He pantomimed drinking, and the other guy nodded and shrugged as they disappeared round a corner.

Viv hoisted her bag onto her shoulder then clambered down, and Richie went to follow her.

"No sudden moves." M warned, bringing his other hand into view. He held a gun, pointed quite steadily at Richie.

"Oh for goodness sake Marcus.." Viv said, exasperated.

Richie gestured for her to be calm as he climbed out of the truck slowly, as far away from Marcus as possible and keeping his hands in view. "Viv, don't worry. I'm sure we can sort this out."

"Yeah, a couple of quick solutions spring to mind pretty readily right now." M said.

Steve appeared behind Marcus, waving the keys to the truck. "Hey M, should I keep these or.. hey, what's this? Richie? M, what are you doing."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I told you last night, we go way back. You aren't thinking of..?"

"Steve, lock up the truck and keep the keys. I'll call you tomorrow. Go."

"Marcus.."

"I said I'd call you." Marcus snapped, never taking his eyes off Richie. Behind him, Steve looked doubtful, but nodded slowly anyway, closed and locked the back of the truck, and walked off.

"So, even odds now." Viv remarked, crossing her arms. "What are you planning on doing. Shooting us both? Cos I tell you, you want to shoot him you go through me."

"Young love." M sneered. "Give me a break Viv, you don't give a damn about anyone but yourself. I bet you're just using him for one of your sick little games. What do you want out of this? More money? A fancy car? Or just the satisfaction of seeing us all dance to your tune."

"Projections from the control freak among us. I missed a workout, Richie came looking for me, he found me, end of story."

"Ending this sounds pretty good to me." M said, raising the gun.

Viv stepped in front of it. "Come on Marcus, stop thinking with your hangover and think like a businessman. Problem elimination has never been your style. Try some problem solving. What would it take to persuade you he's on the level?"

"A miracle. Get out the way Viv."

"Not happening. This isn't your call anyway. My friend, my problem. And I say we don't got a problem, so let's leave it at that for right now."

"And you just happen to be my problem while you're in town. You think they dumped you with me for my health? I'm your baby-sitter. You don't get a say in this." Marcus told her.

Viv looked taken aback and dropped her bag next to her. Richie wanted to do something but he couldn't make a move without messing up whatever Viv was trying. He couldn't even run without getting shot, if Marcus had even the faintest idea how to use the gun he was holding. And right now he looked like he had used it before.

"Marcus, you are not going to do this."

"I am not going to take orders from a bitch who breezes into town and thinks being related five generations back gets her the keys to the city! Family doesn't work like that, Viv, you don't run anything here, you don't even have a voice here until you've earned it. Get the hell out of the way." M waved the gun practically in her face.

Viv narrowed her eyes and stepped forwards. "Like hell. No one gets hurt because of me, least of all Richie. Now are you going to start being reasonable or do I have to give you some reasons?"

M's response was to move the gun down to point at her heart, and Viv had to consciously make sure she didn't gulp.

"Marcus, you shoot me and I do not care how little standing I have over here, there are people who will know and care and at the very least kick your sorry arse out of the business so fast you'll leave skid marks. And if you let me live, and kill Richie, then I have five secrets on you I know you don't want to be public knowledge, and I will not hesitate to print them in the paper just to repay you for all your consideration. But if we all walk out of here calmly, and I meet you after the weekend when you got more information, then we can work out something a bit more beneficial." Viv said with deadly calm. Marcus seemed unsure for a moment, but a pressure against his thigh made him look down, where he found one of Viv's knives held so only a twitch of her wrist would sever an artery.

Anger flickered across his face, then he swallowed and looked up with a calmer expression. "Monday, then. I will not forget this Vivianne."

"Neither will I, Marcus. Not a word of it. Now get out of here. I'm not walking away with a gun at our backs." Viv said, the knife disappearing again.

Marcus took one step back, looked at Viv for a long moment, then shoved the gun in his pocket. He shot Richie a look of pure venom, then turned on his heel and walked away. Viv watched him until he was out of sight, then picked up her bag again and turned to go.

"Viv, I.."

"Not a word, Ryan. Just.. shut up for a bit. If I say anything to you now it will not be polite, believe me. Seacouver just went bad in a big way. Come on, I need a beer. Or ten."

***

Viv stalked off straight to the nearest bar and Richie followed her. She got her beer and they sat at a dark little table near the back.

"Well Ryan, I hope you appreciate the lengths I go to for your little secret. You realise if you're right about this Immortality thing I could have just let him shoot you and no harm done." Viv said eventually.

"In case you haven't noticed we feel pain just as much as the next guy, and a bullet in the chest is not what I would call no harm. And what do you mean if I'm right? You've seen it. We're Immortal." Richie replied.

"I've seen you heal quick. There's a world of difference between that and saying you can come back from the dead. Personally, I prefer the paranoid attitude. This is all a set up until I find out for sure otherwise." Viv told him, getting out a tobacco tin.

"Why would we... never mind, I'm sure you could come up with a reason. And for what it's worth I'm sorry there was trouble. But it wasn't all because of me."

"Yeah, I know, which is why you're still walking. It was that idiotic paranoid control freak bastard Marcus. You know, up until last night, I thought he was my friend? Shows what I know. Real great judge of people I am. Let's face it, family's all I got and most of them don't want to know me. Hell, all of them." Viv said, getting out some papers and rolling herself... not a cigarette.

"Viv, what are you doing? Do you really think that is a good idea right now?"

"Right now, I am having a very bad day. Right here is how to make it a better one." Viv said, waving the joint around for illustration before she lit it and took a long puff.

"Viv, if some guy comes for your head you cannot afford to be stoned!"

"Head-hunters are not my problem right now. Family is my problem. Lack of travelling money is my problem. Do not go adding yourself to the list."

"Viv.."

"Look, Ryan, my life is my own business, okay? I stopped off in Seacouver for a few weeks, couple of months tops. I figured, get some funds together, keep going north, do Canada, maybe even save for the plane to Japan or China or something. Great plan, huh? Now I got ten kinds of problems I don't need and all my funds tied up in rent or orders or whatever... And you and MacLeod just make it so much easier to deal with it all with your poking around in my business. I didn't ask for this, okay? I never asked for help, and I never asked for teaching. Just a place to work out and someone to practice with. That doesn't make you or that bloody Scotsman kin of mine."

"Okay.. I understand that. But Viv, you've got to talk to Mac. If you need a job he could help you get one. You could teach at the dojo, you're good enough."

"Hardly, I'm only a black belt. Haven't got the qualifications."

"You think Mac does? He learned a while before there were any boards handing out belts around here."

"Besides, relying on any one guy for money is up there in the all time stupid plays table." Viv said bitterly, still smoking. "I can look after myself."

Richie sighed and looked down, trying to think of something that would get through to her. He remembered something and looked up again. "We all can, but sometimes it helps to look after each other too."

Viv glanced up at him sharply, then grimaced and shook her head. "Hell. I hate it when that happens. Now I've either got to agree with you or look like a prat. Well, let's pretend my pride can take the dent. What are my options? Leave with what I got in the bank right now, which is bugger all. Or go find something to sell."

"Steal another car you mean." Richie said.

"Don't take that tone with me, Richie. I haven't nicked a car myself since I left England... actually, I'm not sure, there is this little memory I've got from sometime in New Mexico of a shitload of sirens and a sharp corner... anyway, it's been a while. But I need funds. But then there's stuff in the post I really need... Shit. You're right. See, I said it. You are right. I got worse than no options here." Viv muttered.

She picked up her beer and gulped the rest of it, then thumped the mug back on the table. She glanced over at Richie then shook her head and got up to go get another. When she came back she picked up where they left off. "But think about it Richie, I go up to Mac and say 'hi, I need a job'. So he says 'well what have you been doing so far' and I say 'oh, the usual, stripping cars for parts.' And he says 'come in, welcome to the business, here's the key to the cash box.' Shyeah, like that's going to happen."

"Viv, the first time I met Mac, I'd just broken into his place. He had an antique store, it looked easy, I got through the alarms in about thirty seconds. So I picked up a sword and I was swinging it about, challenging the nearest statue, when Mac walks in with katana raised thinking I'm a head-hunter."

"So you were Immortal then, he recognised you?"

"No, there was this psycho on the roof about to drop in, and Connor outside. He felt them, thought it was me. Anyway, not the best of introductions. And after all that, he and Tessa took me in, gave me a job, and after my first death Mac trained me. Trust me, he can forgive a whole lot more than a bad career choice."

Viv sighed. Her first joint was long finished, sitting in the ashtray. Now she played with the lid of the tin, thinking another might be nice about now. "So if he's such a saint, how come he expects me to trust him with a sword to my throat but he doesn't trust me?"

"He still isn't sure you are who you say you are. I mean, it was pretty obvious you had secrets."

"Like I'm the only one. Every time I ask you about anything important it's just another long story." Viv said, waving at his neck.

Rich ignored that. "We've met people who pretended to be new before. She tried to get to him through me. He just worries."

"That crap again? Why the hell would I bother? And why would I hang around this long if I wanted his head? I could have stabbed him in the back any number of times. You know I don't even have to get close! I could shoot him and take his head while he was dead. Why would anyone..." exasperated sigh "Well, they call it The Game. So some people play a bit more than others. Not me, Rich. I want a fight, I say so."

"So talk to Mac. Tell him what you've been hiding, or just talk to him like you talk to me. Once he gets to know you Mac will trust you as much as he does me."

"If he's so trusting, why did he set you to following me?"

"He just said to keep an eye on you, he didn't.. Viv, how did you..?"

"Educated guess. So you two weren't really worried about me."

"We worried, yeah. I like you Viv, you're a friend."

"And that's all." Viv warned.

"I know. And as long as that's all you want I won't push it. I know how lonely it can get, no one knowing who you really are. I can be your friend if that's what you want. But Viv, so could Mac."

She sat in silence for a minute, then sighed. "Maybe. Or maybe he could kick me out too."

"Not for this, Viv. Believe me."

Viv finished her beer and stared at the empty mug for a while. Rich waited, watching her think about it. Viv glanced up and noticed him looking.

"Richie, thanks. You mean well, you're a nice guy, all of that stuff. Now get out of here and let me think. You should get a cab or something, I wouldn't advise going back for your bike just yet."

"You'll be okay?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. Always am. I'll... see you sometime. I don't know yet. Go on, get out of here."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." Richie said.

Viv just shook her head and opened up her tin again. Rich looked at her sadly, then turned and walked out.

***

Duncan looked up when he felt the buzz and saw Vivianne stalking in, obviously annoyed. He quietly got his sword and stepped out of the office.

"Duncan MacLeod, I think it's about time thee and I had a little chat." Viv said, coming to a halt in the centre of the room as Mac walked towards her, then stopped a couple of paces away. "From the moment I got here you just haven't given me a break. You question me, you won't trust me, you set Rich to _following_ me for Christ's sake. It's time we sorted this whole thing out. So if you can step outside a minute we can sort out just exactly who I am."

"Why go outside? I'll face you here." Duncan said, bringing up his sword, sure this was the challenge he had been expecting from the moment she had first walked in.

"Oh for goodness... Right, if the only way you can think is with a sword then I bloody well will..." Viv said, pulling her sword and shoving her hair down the neck of her coat, the best way to secure it she could manage on short notice. Then she lunged for him and the fight began.

For the first few blows Viv was steaming mad and all on the offensive, cutting a few threads in Duncan's shirt as her speed surprised him yet again, but after that she went cold and calm, then started backing off. Duncan pressed his advantage, Viv backing away, steel clashing as she parried everything he threw at her. She started to look worried, and out of breath. She was a lot more off balance than usual, and Duncan realised she smelled of alcohol and maybe even marijuana. Her sword work got sloppy, she backed up and tripped over on nothing, and Duncan disarmed her. It had only taken seconds. He raised his sword to finish it, hesitated a moment at the fear in her eyes...

"That's why I'll never challenge you MacLeod! You don't have to trust me to know your own skill! You can take me apart without breaking a sweat, and we both know it." Viv said hurriedly, a little desperately.

Duncan lowered his sword fractionally. "What do you mean, you'll never challenge me? You just _did_ challenge me." he demanded.

"That's what you heard, not what I said. Look, I know, I said it all wrong. So handcuff me or something and I'll show you what I did mean." Viv said quickly.

Duncan lowered his sword, still on his guard but not threatening to strike any more. "What the hell did you mean then?"

"There's a trunk, big blue thing out next to the car. Had a devil of a time getting it down the stairs into the car at my end, I thought you could help me bring it in here. It's full of stuff, pictures, reports, everything I've got from when I was a kid. You think I'm some sort of ruthless ancient cuckoo? I'm not. I'm twenty three years old, I passed five GCSEs and a first aid course in my entire life, there's precious little documentation says I even exist, but all of it is in that trunk." Duncan appeared doubtful, but ready to be convinced. "Look, I'll go get it myself if you're that dubious. Just... leave my head where it is right now, okay?"

Duncan looked at her. She certainly seemed genuine, but if this was some kind of act then she would have practised... but she didn't make sense as either what she claimed or as an old Immortal. So... "Show me this trunk then."

It was there just as she had said, and between them they lugged it up to Mac's place and dumped it in front of the sofa. Viv kicked the lid open and dumped her bag next to it. She hadn't tried to pick up her sword again. She sat in front of it and Duncan sat next to her. She definitely smelled like she had been drinking, and at the very least sitting in a very smoky room. She wasn't exactly steady and she seemed rather out of it.

"So, if you didn't mean to fight me, why did you pull your sword?" he asked, getting right to the point as she rummaged in the box.

"Newcastle Brown and idiocy." She admitted. "It's been a bad week, and a long night, and you can be such a..." in the light of his present mood she thought better of finishing that thought. "Here we are, school photos. Some years I got two, some I got none, I keep them basically so I know no one else can get hold of them. I don't half look a sight most of the time." she pulled out a shoe box and handed it to Mac.

He opened it and found a pile of photos, all different sizes, a bit dog eared in some cases, and one of them half way burnt, but all at least probably of the same person. Vivianne Impson, age four onwards.

"That one is St. Pukes. Or St. Luke's I should say. Boring little middle of nowhere place in some village in Essex." Viv told him, pointing at a group photo of a dozen five year olds in a hall with a stage at one end and some tatty gym equipment showing. "I could remember the teacher's name if you want, but she got married after we left. She remembered me well enough to ask after me at the next place. I tend to have that effect."

"Memorable is one word I could use to describe you." Duncan confirmed. He flipped through the box, finding picture after picture of a skinny little girl with curly hair that got longer and more unruly in each photo. Then at about age eight the hair got very short and the little girl got rather fatter, and looked in a rather worse mood.

"Ah, now that's one of the boarding schools they tried to lock me up in. Dad was off to France on one of his contracts, and they didn't want to lug me along. So they got Nana to spend out on this fancy boarding school, an hour of sports a day and Latin lessons and all that. I couldn't stand it. They actually sat me down in front of the whole school and played choo choo trains with my food until I cleared my plate once. Which, by the way, Richie had better not find out or I may reconsider the not challenging you thing."

"Doesn't look like they needed to worry about you being malnourished. What happened to your hair?"

"Oh, hair cuts cost extra, and all the girls got the same cut anyway. So I did my own. One of those things I got extra breakfast duty for. They had this thing where you had to get up and set the table for breakfast if you got a demerit. Well I've never been much of a one for mornings, unless I've had a twelve hour run up, so I ended up getting more demerits for being late for breakfast than anything else. By the end of the term I had so many detentions scheduled they were working out a lessons program for me."

"You stayed there a whole term?" Duncan asked, amused.

"Term and a half, though not by my will, I can tell you. Had summer holidays at Nana's and I thought I could sneak off and get to France rather than do the new term, but she set the cousins on me and that lot can be right pains in the butt. Just as sneaky as I was and a couple of years older. So I got carted back to boarding school, and of course they've got glass along the tops of the walls and all that, them being used to escapes. So I had to wait until the sponsored walk to get out. They set two teachers to watching me, but I paid some of the pre preps a month's worth of sweets to throw tantrums all at once." Viv grinned.

Duncan couldn't help grinning too. He got to the next year's photo and found one of a disgruntled looking Viv, hair getting longer but curls all gone, sat next to a boy with the same colour brown hair and blue eyes, and grinning or rather grimacing in that 'get me out of here' way familiar to anyone who's ever seen a school photo.

"Who's this?" He asked, pointing at the boy.

"What, that? Ignore it. It's just one of them schools that thinks its cute to put the twins together in photos. There was a rather good one of him going flying once I elbowed him off the bench, but he got hold of the only copy. Next topic." Viv said dismissively, pulling that photo and a couple others like it out of his hand and tossing them back into the trunk.

"Twins? But.."

"Like I said, next topic. Being friends with you isn't worth talking about that shite." she said, looking like she had a bad taste in her mouth. Duncan flipped through more photos, found the burnt one had a definite hint of another person's arm down the edge of where it was scorched. There was definitely a story there. But for now he turned to the trunk and picked up some bits of paper at random.

"Ah, the end of term reports. Thankfully I usually left before I got those. Da used to go ballistic when he got hold of one. Don't know why, it only says the same things the teachers said about us all year. I think it was more real or official or something in writing."

There was the usual collection of must do betters, could do betters, punctuality is abysmal, attendance is appalling, and one from the Latin teacher that said simply 'I Quit'. Duncan looked up at Viv, who was grinning widely. "Had to work hard at that one." she said proudly.

He turned to the box again and found that under the folder marked 'Awards' it turned into a collection of random objects, mostly broken, some of them tacky little tourist souvenirs. He inspected the folder first. There was one fancy card certificate, one carefully folded photocopy, one small pink piece of paper, and two mint biscuits.

"GCSE English Lit grade B, but not language cos I didn't do the course work. History grade C. Spanish, French and German grade A, the rest I failed outright. Sort of a spotty education." Viv said, pointing to the card certificate. "I mean, I know the chemistry of turning household goods into things that make at least parts of you high, but they don't exactly ask that in exams. Same with cars. I know them, inside and out, I can strip them down for parts or put them together from scratch, but I never sat an exam in it in my life. Just sort of picked it up from the cousins. And I could have done a fair essay on politics or certain bits of criminal law, but they don't tend to ask that at GCSE, and buggered if I'd hang around any longer than necessary letting small people with small minds dictate when I had to get up and sit down. A levels were just that bit too far. So I quit, worked at the family business until my eighteenth, then did the world tour thing."

"The biscuits?"

"Given out at boarding school number two for academic excellence. Course by then it wasn't a surprise I was good at French, I had been wandering around more or less looking for Da for the best part of a year. Turned out he'd been back home for half of that, but I was having a good time, so it weren't too much of a bother."

"So this is your proof? Some school photos and a GCSE certificate?"

"Well, the photocopy is the closest thing I've got to a birth certificate. Not exactly solid proof, I know, but Ma sent the originals off to the tax man and we never seen hide nor hair of them since. I've got a passport and NI number card too, but then I have about half a dozen of them in different names so it don't prove much. I can give you a dozen names and phone numbers of people that will vouch for me, but half of them would say I was thirty or thirteen if I asked them too, and the other half don't actually know. You can ask any of the schools I went to, if they haven't all retired then they'll remember me. I've been described as a one girl St Trinians. If you really want, I can tell you the numbers for the olds and olders, but my parents are.. not exactly the sorts who'd make reliable witnesses, you know? And Nana died, so that leaves the great aunts and they only saw me once when I was five." Viv sounded sincere, and apologetic. First time Mac had seen her sorry for anything. "You do believe me? Don't you? I've spent so much time convincing money men I'm someone else I don't have much of a clue how to persuade anyone I'm me." she sighed, then realised that did not sound too good, and sat back on the sofa looking worried. "What I just don't understand is why you think I'm any older than I say. I mean, let's face it, it isn't my mature attitude."

"Just little things. Like the way you talk. Saying 'Thee and I' for instance."

"The way I talk? Come on Mac, ye cannae tell me ye've nae heard a dialect in your life?" Viv said, slipping into a passable Scottish brogue to make her point. "Of course I can talk in perfect BBC English if I so choose." she switched accents again to demonstrate. "But when I ain't thinking about it I speak the way I learned, and I learned my English at my Grandma's knee. _She_ learned way before television evened out the accents. You know she had no trouble reading Mallory? A few hundred years old it might be but the good old Norfolk boys still talk that way. Course I moved around so much I don't only sound Norfolk. I were born in Longdendale up in the Peak District, we lived in France for a bit before I started school, then off to Sheffield. Its hardly a surprise my accent is a bit confused, it only surprises me anyone can understand it at all."

Mac examined the photos again. They stopped at age fifteen, but Viv hadn't changed much since that one. Same height, just a somewhat different build. And her eyes, such a striking shade of almost reflective grey blue, matched those of the girl in all the photographs.

"Okay, I believe you. These look like you. But if you had these since the start why not show me before?"

"Why should I have? Have you any idea how weird you sounded? I walked in here to look for some place to work out. No big deal, I've done it in half the towns in America. But here I find a guy who tells me we're Immortal and a whole load of people just like us are going to try and chop my head off, and by the way I'm your student now and I'll do as you say. Excuse me for finding this just the teensiest bit dodgy. Right now, I reckon I trust you. More or less. I trust Rich, or at least I did until I caught him sneaking around after me, and he trusts you. I had planned on leaving a long time before now, but you do actually have some stuff to teach me. But I didn't much fancy dragging out my past for you to rummage through. I mean, most of it I left behind. Some of it I don't much like to think about. Why talk to you about it?"

"If you don't want to talk about your past, I can understand that. But why all the secrecy now?"

"Not exactly secrecy. I just don't talk about work when I'm not there. It's not so strange. I get off shift and I like to relax, not go through it all again. And besides, Rich knows about my work, he's met Marcus. It's no big mystery."

"So why keep me out of it all?"

"Do you invite your teachers home, or tell them to drop by your work place and tell amusing anecdotes about all the times they've knocked you on your arse? Sorry Mac, you seem to be an alright guy, and you aren't bad looking or anything, it's just you are my teacher. I never have got on well with any of them. Even subjects I liked. I mean, my first martial arts teacher, he taught us all this really important lesson first thing he got a new kid in his class. He'd stand them up in front of him with all the class watching, and he'd say 'See this hand?' then while they were looking he'd thump them one with the other and say 'You didn't see that one.' Then he'd say it again and they would try and watch his hands, and he'd kick their feet out from under them. So then they would watch his hands and his feet and he would just grab them, pick them up and chuck them down. Knock the breath right out of them. He told all the parents it was to teach us awareness, and we learned that all right. We became very aware that he was a big bastard who did his job because he liked beating up on little kids, and we better learn what we could fast as we could to protect ourselves from bastards like that."

"I'm not like that."

"There have been times when you could have fooled me. I know I haven't exactly got a rounded picture of you, seeing you over crossed swords as I usually do, but that's my point."

"So you want to know about me?"

"Seems like a good time for it. By my count you owe me a dozen stories."

"I owe you stories?" Duncan laughed.

"Yeah. That's how people get to be friends, they swap stories. Most people know this by instinct, but it seems to me you're one of the sort that need telling."

"So you want to be friends?" Duncan asked, smiling at her.

//That's not the half of what I want of you.// Viv thought, feeling warm from that smile. "Well, let's put it this way. I think of us being enemies and I get a little uncomfortable in the neck area, you know?"

"Okay then. Friends." Duncan said, and held out his hand. Viv shook it, well pleased. "Now as for stories... where to begin..."

"You telling me at four hundred years you don't have any stories?"

"Oh, just one or two. Like, there was a time after I met Rich when..." and he started telling Viv all the highlights of the past few years, rather edited to leave out any mention of the Watchers or Methos. He made sure Rich came out looking good in all of them, to make up for putting doubts in his young friend's head. But right then Viv was much more interested in a certain muscular Scot.

-End-

**Author's Note:**

> Old fic is old. Mary Sue is really very Sue in some ways. Hopefully she doesn't push anyone out of character.
> 
> Since I never got around to writing more of this I'll say why I thought she was interesting: Immortals don't have families. No children, and no ancestors. Each and every one of them is a foundling child. And some of them get adopted. The series dealt with someone finding out they wouldn't inherit, but I was still fascinated by the idea that the family you grew up with wasn't anything to do with you, yet shaped your whole being. So Viv's life was shaped and limited by her family, the criminal sort, and when she finds out they never were kin, the reaction would be spectacular.
> 
> But there's other things that pretty much look like her being a Sue but were meant to be clues. She was raised to know how to use a sword, amongst other things useful to an Immortal. Why?
> 
> Because her adopted relatives _know_. Their founder is an Immortal, and the Family is his way of stretching his influence over the centuries. And his favourite way to recruit is strategic adoption - so he has a whole network of Immortals to call on.
> 
> He would have expected to be her Teacher, in time. But she's getting ever more attached to Mac. Fireworks from that direction too: is it more important how you were raised or who you choose?
> 
> I wanted to explore chosen family and the networks Immortals create, like the clan Mac gathers around him without ever naming it, and how they can go both right and wrong. None of the existing characters were quite right for the idea. Hence, Viv.


End file.
